Ulta to furlough 'many' store employees
Bolingbrook-based beauty products chain Ulta Beauty announced it would furlough 'many" of its store employees on April 19 due to the impact from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ulta CEO Mary Dillon stressed in a statement Wednesday that the furloughs would be tempoarary and the company would bring back employees when it was feasible. All furloughed employees will be eligible to apply for unemployment benefits, and those participating in company benefit plans will remain enrolled, the company said.
The company did not say specifically how many employees would be affected. Forbes magazine listing of Ulta has the company employing a total of 44,000 nationwide.
The beauty products chain closed its stores March 31 in response to growing concerns over the exposure to the virus, relying primarily on online sales from its website.
Employees at Ulta's distribution centers are not affected by the furloughs, the company said, and those employees will receive a $2-per-hour wage premium. Corporate employees are also being moved to new positions "to help to support the most pressing business needs such as guest services, human resources, and others."
The company also announced Dillon has agreed to indefinitely forgo her base salary. She also made a personal donation of $500,000 to the company's Beauty Associate Relief Program, which provides money to employees facing personal hardship.
Ulta is also donating 450,000 medical grade gloves from its salons to hospitals in need across the country to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic.